News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1887-12-15
LEPERS IN PHILADELPHIA.
A Woman and Her Daughter AT
fiicted With the Disease Con-
tracted in Brazil.

A PHILADELPHIA, Pa, letter says The
two 1epers, nAsatIaer and daughter, about
whom there has been so much comment
during the past two weeks, came into
the office of the Board of Health of their
own accord, and were sent out to the
municipal hospital for contagious dis
eases in the hospital ambulance. When
the unfortunate woman raised her veil
her face presented a dreadful appear
ance. It looked as though it was scald-
ed. The skin was drawn and contract
ed and scanned with wrinkles. The
hands and arms which she displayed
were covered with shiny skin, which
was also cracked and scanned. The lit
tie girl, WHO'S only about II years old,
did not seem t0>be as bad as the moth
er. although her face showed plainly
that she was suffering from some skin
disease. Both mother and daughter
were neatly dressed.
The woman said that her name was
Isabella Miranda. She declined to give
any definite information about her fam
ily. When the poor woman told her
story, her voice choked sometimes by
sObs, and tears flowed from her eyes.
She is a native of this country, and
about twenty years ago married native
of Brazil. They lived here for ten years
and then went to Brazil, taking their
two children with them. Since that
time they have lived in that country
most of the time in Para. Two other
children were born to them. The wom-
ans husband, who died several years
ago, was Captain on boat that piled
4 4 f1,1
the woman says that whatever the ma
ture of the disease is with which they
are afflicted, she is positive it is the
effect of poison.
About four years ago they both ate a
Brazilian plant which is very poisonous.
In that country they have root which
much resembles potato, but the effects
of which on the human system are
deadly. One of these roots was cooked
by mistake, and the woman and her
child both partook of portion of the
dish before the error was discovered.
They afterward became sick. The dis
ease seemed to take q deeper and deep
er hold, until they were reduced to such
straits that it was determined to send
them both to this country for medical
treatment. They have relatives in this
country, and to them they have come
about two years ago, and here they have
lived ever since.
Mrs. Miranda says that she has been
under IIis5 sale oil IE.@s5snla Iiirieseii,-sut
was never told the exact nature of her
disease. She does not know now posi-
lively just what it is. Her condition
and that of her child, she said, has
much improved since they have been
here, and about three weeks ago she
determined to return home in the city of
Para. She has two grown-up children
there, one of which is a young woman
who is married, while the other is boy
of 10, who is learning t. be pilot.
Her youngest child, about years old,
is also there. All these are perfectly
healthy, and have never displayed any
symptoms of the disease.
Mrs. Miranda left this city, and went
to New York, where she took passage
on steamer for Brazil, but she did not
know the name of the vessel. Hardly
had they got well out at sea when the
ships physician found out what was the
matter with the two passengers, and
the Captain determined to land them at
the first opportunity. The vessel put
in at Newport News, and the sorely af-
ficted woman and child were obliged to
disembark, being told that under the
circumstances it would be impossible to
pat them ashore in Brazilian port
She determined at once to come back to
this city, and arriving at Broad street
station yesterday morning. Heartbroken
at not being permitted to go back to her
home, filled with misgivings that she
would not see her other children any
more, and knowing that she had dis
ease, whatever it was, which would
cause all to shun her, she concluded
not to go back to her friends, but let
the health authorities attend to her
case.
The fact that lepers had been in the
city was made known to the Board of
Health on November l, although they
had probably left at that time. DIR.
Ford, who was then seen, gave it as his
opinion that leprosy was not contagious
unless person came into actual con-
tact with the sufferer or handled the
clothing. In his report of the case to
the County Medical Society, DR.. Van
Arlingen says: ''Leprosy is indeed con-
tagious in my belief, and in that of the
majority of observers, but contagious
in slow and uncertain manner.